What is Medicine?

Let’s start with a few definitions. According to Dr. Google, trauma occurs when we experience a deeply distressing or disturbing experience, or a physical injury. Western medicine is the field of health and healing involving the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease. Psychiatry is a branch of modern medicine specializing in the treatment of emotional or psychological maladies. Therapy is a form of treatment geared to the restoration and healing from physical, psychological, or emotional trauma. Therefore, physical healing is the restoration of living tissue back to its proper functioning, while emotional healing is the integration of one’s feelings and psyche into a new inner landscape. Prescription drug therapy is a tool used in the treatment of both physical and emotional healing. So it stands to reason that good health not only implies a lack of disease and optimal function, but also includes emotional well-being.

There are also alternative or complementary forms of medicine that define health holistically with a synergistic combination of mind, body and spirit. Modalities include herbal medicine, hypnosis, acupuncture, chiropractic techniques, EMDR, sound healing, chakra balancing, light therapy, somatic and breathing practices, and energy medicine such as Reiki or healing touch. Psycho-spiritual paths include meditation, chanting, prayer, past life regression, transpersonal psychology, etc. to help ease anxiety and overcome trauma. The sky’s the limit with so many words, meanings, approaches, modalities, techniques, and practices, many of which overlap. Let’s not forget the ones, where you connect to a machine that detects something, either physical or emotional, providing a personalized map of your problems in black and white. People feel sense of confidence in what appears to be valid science using machines and printouts. There are so many ideas, gadgets, gizmos and buzzwords to be dazzled by that it’s easy to become overwhelmed. No wonder people are on a constant search for truth and understanding.

In the psycho-spiritual arena, the latest trend is the renaissance of Shamanism, which I along with many others, have studied and incorporated into my workshops. However, shamanism has quickly become the new buzzword that more often than not is marketing hype. Many people conveniently call themselves a shaman, or join the ranks of those heading in droves to Peru to partake in yet another form of healing—plant medicine. The desire and need for healing, growth and transformation is apparent.

So what is medicine, really? In my opinion, shamanism goes back to basics to the knowledge, practices, and wisdom that predates modern medicine, religion and spirituality by a landslide. Shamans were the first psychologists and healers who truly understood the balance between mind, body and spirit. They used plant medicine as a tool or bridge connecting to the unseen world of Spirit for healing and guidance. Shamans were the first psychic explorers that were the earth and wisdom keepers of our domain. Plant medicine is a powerful vehicle of revelation that our culture it just beginning to tap into for both physical and emotional healing. But, in shamanism, plants aren’t considered the only medicine. Medicine came in the form of a teaching, energy work, proper diet, a practice, or whatever restored inner balance and abolished physical distress. Native American elders used the medicine wheel as a teaching tool to communicate the teachings associated with the four directions, the four elements, the four seasons and the four stages of life. The whole point is to illustrate our connection to nature and to charter a course that creates harmony within ourselves, with each other, with nature and to spirit. This is the medicine way of the shamans, and is the way of beauty.

At the end of the day, there’s a veritable smorgasbord of healing tools and medicine out there.  It boils down to what you are drawn to, what you believe in, and are willing to spend. Pick your medicine wisely, have realistic expectations, and take the time to apply what you learn. Otherwise you’ll just be addicted to healing, remain in a constant state of seeking, and fall prey to the never ending lure of the next quick fix.

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